Slow Rise Squishies

‘Oh my God, Mom! Everyone at school loved them and wanted to touch them. They loved them!’

That was my 13-year-old daughter’s response after she took two ‘Slow Rise Squishies‘ to school.

Slow Rise Squishies are the latest trend in the world of toys, originating in Japan and taking Asia, and the internet, by storm.

‘The squishes global craze began online and has become an international obsession. A single YouTube video featuring Squishies has generated more than 7.8 million views, highlighting the popularity of the craze,’ says Samir Kulrami, CEO of Showcase, where the toys are sold exclusively across Canada.

Interestingly, I had originally brought them home for my four year-old, but it was my 13-year-old who ended up jumping for joy over these tactile sensation toys. For my fidgety daughter, who always needs something in her hands to play with, they were the perfect gift.

So how do you play with them? Well, all you have to do is squeeze them and then watch them rise back into their original shape, over and over again! My four-year-old son, upon seeing the Squishy loaf of bread and donut, squeezed and then laughed as they returned to their original shape, over and over and over again, and refused to go to bed without them.

The squishies come in 27 unique shapes and sizes, including a loaf of bread, large ice cream cone, mango, watermelon slice, a basketball, and a croissant, as a few examples. I’ll admit that some are so lifelike, that from afar, you really would think you were looking at a real loaf of bread or real mango.

What I find most fascinating is how gripping these were for such a wide age range of children, from my four-year-old to my teenager.

Sure, we may teach our children at the dinner table to stop playing with their food, but with these ‘Slow Rise Squishies’, trust me, you’ll be playing with your (‘Squishy’) food too.

Storytellers

Rebecca Eckler is a journalist, columnist, blogger and best selling author of nine books; three on parenting, including Knocked Up!, Wiped, and Toddlers Gone Wild. Her latest book is The Mommy Mob: Inside the Outrageous World of Mommy Bloggers. She lives in Toronto with her 12-year-old daughter, Rowan, and her 4-year-old son, Holt. She loves eating in bed, watermelon, Chelsea Handler, and The Big Bang Theory. And, of course, her children.